Adjustable escutcheon



P. MUELLER AND A. C. SCHUERVIANN.

ADJUSTABLE ESGUTCHEON.

APPLlcATloN FILED APR.9.1921.

1 y, 6 6 8 Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

Patented Nov. 2.8, 1922.

UNITED STATES 1,436,663 PATENT orrier.

PHILIP MUELLER AND ANTON C. SCHUERMANN, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS. 'Y

ADJUSTABLE ESCUTCHEON.

i Application filed April 9, 1921. Serial No. 459,931.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it` known that we, PHILIP MUELLER and ANTON C. SCHUnRMANN, citizens`of the United States, residin at Decatur, in the county of Macon andtate of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inAdjustable Escutcheons,of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to wall or slab fittings for pipes, as,for example, the Shanks lof cocksy or faucets, and relates moreparticularly to means for securing an ornamental flange or escutcheon inadjusted posi tion upon a cock or other similar member.

The development is of particular advantage in -connection withescutcheons or flanges ofvitreous material, which, being comparativelyfragile, are likely to become broken if undue strain from fasteningnuts, screws and the like is imposed upon them, and which, furthermore,present difficulties in the matter of providing efficient means forsecuring them snuglyT in place.

yVarious means have been provided for accomplishing this fastening ofescutcheons, both of metal and vitreous ware, and while these different`means have merit, they injvolve, so far as is known to us, somewhatcomplicated constructions, andy theI assembling of the parts is attendedwith some difiiculty.

\ It is with the object of providing a device which is simple of`manufacture and assembly that the present development has been made,and Awhich is shown in the accompanyincr drawings, in which drawings *ig1 is a sectional view of so much of a wall board and fitting as isnecessary to a disclosure of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional vieuT substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig.1.

, Fig. 3 is a rear view of the escutcheon which is designed tobe'secured in place, and

Fig. ,4 is a detail plan view of the locking nut which cooperates withthe escutcheon.

Referring to the drawings by numbers, like numbers indicating like partsin the several views, 10 indicates a wall board, slab or abutment, itbeing here shown as arran ed in vertical position. In rthe rear` of thesglab is shown the T-iitting 11, which will, of course, be connected into the pipe line. 12

indicates the shank of the cock, which may be of any suitableconstruction, and in which will be mounted the valve (not shown) towhich will be secured the valve stem 13 hav ing any suitable handle 14,a cap nut 15 to engage the threaded end of the shank being provided.

It is desirable in all fittingsl of this kind that the shank ofthevfaucet and the aper-v tures in the wall or slab be covered andclosed, and this is very vusually accomplished by a suitable escutcheon.At the present'time escutcheons of vitreous material or finish are infavor, and with the use of such escutcheons, since vitreous ware cannotbe conveniently or successfully threaded to thev parts, independentfastening means must be provided. V

In the present showing, an escutcheon 16 of suihcient lsize to enclosethe parts and of any appropriate design is provided, the escutcheonhaving a base to rest flat upon the wall or slab, 10 and beinginteriorly `chambered to receive the parts of the faucet which are to becovered. The escutcheon 16 j l or washer, which, as shown, is threadedruponthe shank 12 of the faucet, this shank being threaded through aconsiderable `portion of its length to give a proper length of travel tothe nut to insure its clamping action, which will now be described. .Therecess 17 has at one or more points in its periphery lugs 2O to makerotative engagement with the nut 21, which `nut is preferably, as shownherein, provided with one or more radially projecting lugs 22, thedimensions of which are such that they will readily pass the radiallydisposed` apertures 19 in the rib 18 of the escutcheon 16. j n

With this constructionit will be seen that when the parts are in theposition shown in Fig. 1 the escutcheon 16 may be rotated freely, therebeing provided, preferably, a

thimble 23 at the stem aperture in the end of the escutcheon to give itbearing for the stem 13. The continued rotation of the escutcheon willcause the lugs 20 in the groove 17 of the escutcheon to engage the lugs22 on the nut 21 so that the nut will be rotated on the threaded sectionof theshank 12 and fed rearwardly or in the direction ofthe rib 18 ofthe escutcheon 16. Continued. rotation will, of course, set the Vnut 21up against the rib-sections 18 with a clamping action and clamp theeseutcheon firmly and evenly in place, the clamping strain beingdistributed equally by the four lugs 22'so that danger of fracturing thevitreous ware by uneven pressure upon the' ribs 18 is practicallyeliminated. Removal of the escutcheon will, of course, be accomplishedby rotating the escutcheon and nut in a reverse direction.

It will be seen that the escutcheon will be entirely closed about itsbase, there being no necessity for the formation of tool openingstopermit aCoeSs toifastening means, and that a perfectly Ytight coveringescutcheon is provided, and one which,byl the simple rotation ofthe'escutcheon, may be placed or removed; v e v v Inassemblin ordisassembling the parts it is necessary,'a ter the fittingl 11 and thefaucet 12 have been placed with Yrespect tothe wall board or slab, tosimply run the nut 21 on to the threaded portion of the shank, place thestem 13 with its valve andthe cap nut 15 in place, after which theescutcheon 16 will be slipped over the stem, itsapertures 19 moved pastthe lugs 22 and the yhandle 14l will be'secure'd to 'the stem andtheescutcheon may then be set upk against the wall byrotating it, and withvit the nut,'in the manner heretoforedescribed.

No claim isffmadeV in this application to the escutcheon per se as suchescutcheo'n is` the subjectof coi-Pending apl'o'lication,J serial No.454,401, iledfMarch 22, 1921, this escutcheon together withI other anddifferent attaching means beingdisclosed also in patent No. 1,377,597,granted Mar. 10, 1921, these being the sole aplications of PhilipMueller, jointinvehtor of the present development.

It isf obvious that changes in the construction and design Iofthe partsmaybe made without departing from vour invention, for with differentstyles and shapes of fitings various lforms and other mechanicalexpedientsv mayy be adopted.'AVU f 'We Claim:

` 1. In -aiitting of theA class described, the

`combination"of "a" support,V an "escut'cheon clamp shiftable lengthwiseof said support, an escutcheon rotatable withrespect to ,said siipport,nterengesls' m bet-W681i Said es'cutcheon and saidclamp toshif-t theclamp along said support when said escutcheon vis rotated,"andinterengaging means between said, escutcheon and Asaid clamp to forcesaid escu'tcheony against a suitable abutment wheny saidv clamp isshifted.

2.Y In a fitting of the class described, the

combination of a threaded vsupport, :an

esciitcheoniv'olarnp screw-:threadedto said support, a ro'tatableesc'utcheon'enclrcling said support,'interenga'ging means between saidescutcheon and said clamp to rotate andshift said clamp along saidsupport when said escutcheon is rotated, and interengaging means betweensaid escutcheon and clamp to force said escutcheon against a suitableabutment when said clamp is shifted.

3. In a fitting of the class described, the combination of a threadedfaucet shank, an escutcheon clamp screw-threaded to said shank, a hollowrotatable escutcheon housing said shank and clamp, interengaging meansbetweensaid escutcheon and clamp to shift said clamp' along said supportwhen said escutcheon is rotated, and interengaging means between saidescutcheon and clamp to force said escutcheon against a fixed abutmentwhenl said clamp` is shifted.

4t. In a fitting of the class described, the combination of a threadedfaucet shank, an escutcheon clamp threaded thereon, Va hol'- lowrotatable escutcheon housing said shank and clamp, means` on saidescutcheon to rotate and shift said clamp along said shank when'saidescut'cheon is rotated, and means on said clamp to engage saidescutcheon and force it against a fixed abutment when said clamp isshifted.

5. In a fitting of the class described, the

combination of a threaded faucet shank,

and clamp, radially disposed lugs on said escutcheon to rotate and shiftsaid clamp along said shank when said escutcheon is rotated, andradially disposed lugson said clamp to force said escutcheony againstl afixed abutment when said clamp is. shifted.

7;"In a fitting of the class described,the combination of a threadedfaucet shank, an escutcheon clamp threaded thereon, 'a hollow rotatableescutcheon housing said shank and clamp, Vlugs extending inwardlyl fromthe interior wall ofsaid lescutchcon"to rotate and shift said clamp.along vsaid shank when said escutcheon is rotated, and 'outwardlyextending lugs on saidclamp to force said escutcheon against aAixed'abutment when said clamp is shifted. i

8. In a tting of the class described, the combination of a threadedshank,`a clamp having radial escutcheon-engaging lugs'on said shank, ahollow rotatable escutcheon housing said shank and clam-p,clampfrotating lugs on the interiorv of said esciltcheon,

v and a rib on said escutchecn for engagement by said clamp lugs.

9. In a fitting of the classy described, the combination of a threadedshank, a clamp having radial escutcheon-enfbraginzgr lugs on said shank,a hollow rotatable escutcheon housing said shank and clamp,clamp-rotating lugs on the interior of said escutcheon, and alternatingrib section and apertures on said escutcheon said apertures adapted toreceive said clamp lugs.

10. In a fitting of the class described, the combination of a threadedshank, a clamp having radial escutcheon-engaging lugs on said shank, ahollow rotatable escutcheon housing said shank and clamp7 clamp-rotatinglugs on the interior of said escutchcon, and alternating rib sectionsand aperu tures arranged circumferentially and interiorly of saidescutcheon at the base thereof said apertures adapted to receive saidclamp lugs.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands; y

PHILIP MUELLER.

ANTON C. SCI-IUERMANN.

